Bulk storage and handling of grain



W. H. BULL.

BULK STORAGE AND HANDLING OF GRAIN.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.12.1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

W. H. BULL BULK STORAGE AND HANDLING OF GRAIN.

' APPLICATION man MARJZ. 1920.

1,406,928. Patented Feb.14, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'* 3 vices.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFiCE.

BULK STORAGE AND HANDLING OF GRAIN.

Application filed Marc- 1 12, 1920.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ammi Elixir; BULL, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing in the postal town of Co- 5 burg, a suburb of Melbourne, in the county of Bourke, State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia, (Whose post-office address is Kerferd Street, in the said postal town of Coburg,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements Connected with the Bulk Storage and Handling of Grain, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the storage and handling of grain in bulk and its object is to provide a storage reservoir or silo and apiiurtenances thereto by which the grain may be stored in good condition for prolonged periods and thoroughly protected from weather and the attacks of rats, mice, and other vermin and by which the introduction of the material into the storage reservoir and its transfer from said reservoir into railway trucks, ships or the'like is greatly facilitated. The outstanding feature of the invention resides in the construction which renders the silo self emptying so that the material therein may be readily withdrawn in any desired quantities with a minimum of labour and without the aid of mechanical power or de- This feature furthermore enables the material to be expeditiously withdrawn from the silo and returned thereto for purposes of aeration, cleansing or treatment for the removal of weevils or other vermin.

This invention also provides for the sub division of the silo into a number of separate compartments, whereby grain of a certain class or quality or of a certain producer may be kept isolated from material of dif ferent classes, qualities or producers. Means are also provided for delivering the material from a common elevator into any particular compartment desired- Further features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims.

Referring to the drawings which form part of this specification Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of one embodiment of the invention in which the silo is divided by longitudinal and lateral partitions into series of compartments, and is provided with a double rigid floor. Portions are broken away and omitted for convenience of illustration.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

Serial No. 3125342.

Figure 2' is a transverse section of Figure 1 showing clearly the arrangement of the double rigid floor by which the grain is discharged by gravity from the silo. Parts are omitted for convenience of illustration.

F igure 3 is a transverse section of a modification in which the silo is provided with a single rigid floor the apex of which is at the center of the si o. The elevator and other portions are omitted for convenience of illustration.

Figure 4 is a detail view of a suitable means for actuating the sliding valves of the discharge and inlet chutes.

Figure is a transverse section of a modification specially designed for loading ships. The silo is provided with a single rigid floor having a major grain shedding surface for delivering the material to the sea-board side and a minor grain shedding surface for delivering the material when desired into rail7 way trucks or the like at the other side of the silo.

On. reference to the drawings it will be seen that the silo or storage reservoir comprises side walls 2 and end walls 3 which nay be constructed of concrete or any other suitable material which is impervious to moisture and changes in temperature and will also effectively protect the material from the entrance of rodents or other vermin.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the silo may be divided by a longitudinal partition l, into two longitudinal divisions or compartments which may be sub-divided by transverse partitions 7 into a series of smaller grain storage compartments, by thus sub-dividing the silo material of different classes or producers may be kept separate as before mentioned.

The side walls 2 preferably extend out-' wardly as at 8 to side troughs 10, as seen in Figures 2, 8, and 5.

Extending from end to end of'the silo, is a grain shedding floor or bottom 9', which may be in the form of a. double ridge as seen in Figure 2 the longitudinal partition 4 being located intermediately between the two ridges. Said ridgesare also provided with oppositely inclined grain shedding surfaces 11 and 12, which are adapted to shed the grain towards both sides and to the centre of the silo. 7

Instead of the above arrangement the floor 9 of the silo may be in the form of a single ridge as in Figure 3. This ridge has oppositely inclined grain shedding surfaces 13 and 14- the apex or meeting point of which is situated at the centre of the silo.

in the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the floor 9 is in the form of a single ridge the apex of which is situated nearer one side of the silo than the other, thereby forming a major inclined grain shedding surface 16, which is adapted to deliver the greater part of the material in the silo to the sea-board side thereof where it may be transferred into the hold of a ship indicated at 1.7. A minor inclined grain shedding surface 18 slopes downwardly in an opposite direction and is adapted when necessary to discharge part of the material into railway trucks or other vehicles or receptacles on the other side of the silo.

Either of the embodiments shown in Figures 3 and 5 may if desired be sub-divided by the transverse portions 7 into a series of separate compartments as before described but for sea-board use it will notusually be necessary to so sub-divide the reservoir.-

Extending over the top of the silo'is a covering 21 of strong wire mesh the openings in which are sufiiciently large to pass the grain or other material but not large enough to permit of the entrance of rodents. Above this covering is a roof 22 which may be made in sections and removable and is provided with an inclined water shedding upper surface 23 which causes rain and moisture to run off the silo without entering the same.

An external ladder 24 extends from the ground to the top of the silo whilst internal inspection shafts 26 may also depend into the storage compartments. The walls of these inspection shafts are preferably formed of wire mesh which may be suitably reinforced and is provided with openings small enough to prevent the grain passing into the shaft. Each inspection shaft is provided with a vermin and weather proof cover 27 and an exit door 28 at its lower end. A ladder 50 or other suitable means of ascendingand descending the shaft is situated inside the Same. By these inspection shafts a person may descend into the mass of grain within the silo for purposes of inspection or the like, and when the respective storage compartment is empty may pass through the exit door 28 onto the floor of the silo for cleansing or other objects.

In combination with the foregoing a grain elevator or other suitable means of delivering the material into the top of the silo is employed. This elevator may be of any suitable type and provided with a feeding hopper 29 into which the grain or material for storage is dumped and is carried by the elevator buckets 30 or the like through the housing 31 to the top of the silo.

lVhen a series of separate compartments are employed as in Figures 1 and 2 and also if desired in other cases the elevator is adapted to deliver the material into a distributing box 32 from which grain inlet chutes or tubes 33 depend into the various compartments of the silo. These grain inlet chutes may be opened or closed by means of inlet valves 34: which are preferably in the form of sliding shutters as shown. By this means the material may be delivered from the elevator into any particular compartment by opening the valve 34: of the respective grain inlet chute and closing the valves of the other chutes.

Depending from the floor of the silo at suitable points are discharge chutes or tubes 36. These chutes are disposed near the foot of each inclined grain shedding surface as in Figures 2, 3, and 5 and may also be located at the apex of the ridged floor 9 as in Figure 3.

The passage of material through the discharge chutes 36 is controlled by outlet valves 37 which are also preferably in the form of sliding shutters as shown. These valves and also the inlet valves 34: may be actuated by hand or by suitable means such as shown in Figure 4, where 38 indicates a hand lever which is fulcrumed at a suitable point on the pin 39. The lower end of this hand lever extends to a convenient position whilst the other end is provided with a slot 41 which accommodates a pin 12 on the sliding valve 34 or 37. The operating levers 38 of the inlet valve 34; may extend to a suitable position near the ground or slide valves may be operated from the top of the silo, access to them being had by means of the ladder 24.

Instead of a lever as above described, a screw and hand wheel arrangement or other suitable mechanism may be provided for operating the slide valves. When not in use said valves may be locked by any suitable means in closed position. to prevent unauthorized opening and loss of material.

Track rails as and 44 may extend both longitudinally and transversely beneath the silo and at the sides of the same, as shown, in order that railway trucks 46 may be brought beneath the discharge chutes for loading. To discharge material into ships as in Figureo, a flexible or other tube 47 may be connected to the sea-board discharge chutes and led into the hold of the vessel.

It will be obvious that on opening the outlet valves the material will passby gravity from the silo, thereby entailing a great saving in time, labor and expense. F urthermore by directing the material from the discharge chutes to the feeding hopper at the foot of the elevator by means of additional chutes, conveyors or the like the whole of the material in the silo may be withdrawn therefrom and returned to the silo after cleansing, aeration or other treatment. The material may thus be thoroughly overhauled with little inconvenience and labor.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. Improvements connected with the bulk storage and handlin of grain, comprising, in combination, a silo having a perforated covering and having a floor provided with an inclined grain shedding surface extending from end to end of the silo, said inclined grain shedding surfaces converging toward the longitudinal center of the silo and also inclining downwardly toward the side edges of the silo, said silo consisting of a plurality of storage compartments, an elevator for charging the silo through the perforated covering, means for delivering grain from the elevator to any of the compartments, discharge chutes depending from the grain shedding surface and having their lower ends disposed above ground level, and outlet valves controlling the gravitation of grain through said discharge chutes.

2. Improvements connected with the bulk storage and handling of grain, comprising,

in combination, a silo having a covering of wire mesh and having a fioor provided with an inclined grain shedding surface extending from end to end of the silo, said surfaces being made up of a plurality of inclined sections leadin upwardly from the longitudinal center or the silo toward a point inter mediate the center and side and then downwardly from said point to the side, said silo consisting of a plurality of storage compartments, an elevator for charging the compartments, a distributing box in communication with the elevator, inlet chutes discharging from the box through the wire mesh covering of the compartments, inlet valves controlling the gravitation of grain through the inlet chutes, discharge chutes depending from the grain shedding surface and having their lower ends disposed above ground level, and outlet valves controlling the gravitation of grain through said discharge chutes.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

WVALTER H. BULL.

W'itness CECIL MoCLnsTnIN. 

